Life Lessons From A Blind Blogger

Anyone can teach life lessons because each one of us is enriched with different life experiences.

However, when it comes from someone who has to go through hardships and difficulties in life, it gains more value.

There are people who are not as fortunate to enjoy life by all means and senses. Nevertheless, these people are at par with others, or maybe even have an edge over others, when it comes to their spirit and courage of living.

I’ve the honor to host such a person on Aha!NOW as a guest blogger. He’s blind but he’s a blogger and an entrepreneur.

He’s an embodiment of strength, character, determination, and excellence of efforts.

He has become a source of inspiration as he motivates others who lose their hearts in the fight of life and the race for success.

Please welcome Maxwell Ivy, the prolific blogger from The Blind Blogger. He is sharing his pearls of wisdom that he acquired during his rich experience of life.

I admire his spirit to learn and to challenge himself. Though he started blogging off late, he is an entrepreneur for more than half a decade at MidwayMarketplace.

When he talks, he talks sense. So, without much ado, here’s over to Max to learn and benefit from his life lessons. ~ Harleena

When talking with Harleena about what to write about, she suggested the topic of inspiration or life lessons from a blind blogger. This is a relatively new topic to me.

You see, I never thought of myself as being an inspiration. I just saw myself as someone who was trying to build a business and support his family, who also happened to be blind.

Writing an inspirational post that does not focus on my website or blogging isn’t easy especially for a guy who only recently started seeing himself as an inspiration in the first place.

It’s only been in recent weeks and months that I have come around to the understanding that I am an inspiration because there are so many people out there who have no physical or mental disability and who still aren’t doing anything to improve their lives.

There are so many people, who are destined for much more. Many of them could have so much richer lives if they would just take that first step.

I want to share a few experiences or my life lessons in hopes that I can help you to move forward on your own path.

My Life Lessons:

So, the first thing I would tell anyone who isn’t making the progress they want to is to get healthy.

See a doctor and make sure there isn’t some clinical reason for your lack of energy, passion, focus, etc. I am now a firm believer that your physical, mental, and spiritual health are critical to your success in life.

Choose Your Direction

Once I started getting healthier, I took a good hard look at my situation.

I figured out that my one remaining game booth was losing money. I then determined that there was no way to improve it without having to hire someone to help me operate it.

This was out, as the game was not making enough money to pay me and pay someone else too. I did not have the cash or credit to purchase something else.

I didn’t want to be on the Midway just to be there. Besides, the least fun thing to do in the world is to watch other people make money.

So, I decided the best thing for me to do was to park the game and pursue some other way of making a living.

I had previously helped family members sell surplus equipment. I felt like I had been good at it. I also felt I could use the skills I had used to help my dad with the bookings to recruit potential clients.

I actually had to convince my own family to let me do this. My mom was the worst.

It took about half a season finally to prove to her that there was no point in putting a game up when she had to buy my stock out of her food trailer.

My Life Lessons:

So, the lesson here is to regularly take stock of where you are and where you are going.

You need to look at the skills, abilities, and resources you have and see what you need to improve to make the next step.

Then you have to decide if these skills are the things you can learn or if there are any services that you can afford to hire people to perform.

Moreover, at the end, sometimes no matter how hard it is, you will have to decide that one dream isn’t going to happen and start looking for the next one.

Ask for Help

When I started the new business, I knew it was going to be difficult.

I had very little experience with the Internet. I knew nothing about building a website and had no money to hire someone to design one for me.

As a blind person one thing they start teaching you early on is to not be afraid to ask questions or ask for help.

I have to admit that when it came to blogging, I didn’t ask for much help in the beginning. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I have not only accepted help but actively sought it.

As a blind blogger, I depend on my friends a lot, and it sometimes takes me longer to accomplish a given task.

I know many people starting a new business are afraid to ask their friends and family for help.

Maybe I did not have a choice. More importantly, I didn’t believe I had a choice which is the same thing.

Sometimes I have to put a job off until my skills improve or until I meet someone who can explain it better or who is willing to do it for me.

My Life Lessons:

This is the most important lesson I have learned.

Are there people you know who you have thought about asking for help? Why haven’t you?

Have you thought that they would want to help you?

Have you considered that you are depriving them of the opportunity to be part of this something special you have in mind for yourself?

I probably have an advantage here because I’m blind. When you grow up losing your vision, the one thing that will be drilled into you is never be afraid to ask for help.

The only thing you hear more is be sure to look in the direction of the person you are talking to.

I have asked for and gotten a lot of help over my career as a website owner and blogger and now podcaster and Google hangout host.

Many times, I did not even have to ask, I just had to be open to needing the help. Amazingly, someone would show up to give me what I needed at that time.

I choose to think it is God. You can say the universe or higher power if you like, but you have to be open to it deep down in your heart.

And when it comes, you have to use the advice and be thankful.

So, go ahead and ask for help. Just remember to be thankful. To me the best way to show your appreciation is to use the information you get.

Take Baby Steps to Success

Harleena asked me to think about how I keep going, and what pearls of wisdom I can share with everyone.

I think it comes down to the fact that I know there are going to be certain things I cannot do for myself or that I cannot manage without help right now.

So, I figure out what I can do. I work hard at doing that job the best I can. I seek out teachers hoping to learn a way to accomplish it by myself.

But if I can’t do it, and I can’t learn how to do it, and I can’t find someone to do it for me; I just don’t worry about it. I concentrate on the things I can affect.

I believe that if you can’t do it all do what you can.

Too many people put off doing something because they get mired down in all the steps that are required and all the skills it will take.

You can’t know it all. You never will – and once you think you do, the world or the Internet will change.

My Life Lessons:

Achieving a big dream takes a constant commitment to taking small steps every hour, day, week, etc of your life.

If you think of it, then there is something you can do right now, which would put you one-step closer to your dream. Ask yourself what is that one thing, and then do it!

I don’t know if I got this from my dad. I learned many good lessons like that from him, and I can remember him often telling us not to get in a hurry and just do what we could do.

Maybe it was in scouting where I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout the first blind person to do that in the Sam Houston area Council.

They taught us teamwork, and you can’t become an eagle without taking lots of little steps that build up to the big one. I remember the courts of honor where we all got our latest skill awards, merit badges, or rank upgrades.

Never Quit – Keep Moving Forward

Maybe I learned it in college. It took me six years finally to get a degree in political science only to miss gaining entry into law school.

I then decided to go through a training program to work for the IRS. I worked for them for two years before returning to the family business.

Now that I think about it, all my life people have been teaching me to persevere. They have been teaching me to keep moving forward keep getting better. And so many people have taught me not to quit.

You will get lots of opportunities.

Some of them will be ones you wanted and actively chased after until you got them. Others will be surprises. They will come from people you didn’t expect and offer you things you didn’t even know you wanted.

My Life Lessons:

The key points are if you can’t do it all, do what you can; ask for help, and take it when you get it; be open to new possibilities and opportunities; and always remember you are only alone out here if you choose to be.

So I’m going from not knowing I’m an inspiration to someone who will write posts to encourage other blind people and even some sighted ones too. In addition, I am now exploring the possibility of doing coaching or public speaking.

My life is continuing to change and expand because I kept myself open to opportunities even those that are drastically different from my original path.

It means more work keeping two sites and two blogs going, but I’m finding myself energized by the process.

If you find yourself too tired to take action, then doing something or anything is exactly what you need.

Trust me, the good feeling you get from having done something to better yourself, will give you the juice to do even more.

Be Positive

That brings me to my final thought.

Your success depends very much on your positive outlook.

I am not going to tell you it is always easy to have a positive outlook. Some days it isn’t easy to see the rainbows or those silver linings everyone is talking about.

But you can find them if you tell yourself they are there and make the effort to really look for them.

I can tell you a few of the things I do that have worked for me. The first thing is – read good books. I split my reading between fiction, biographies, and personal development titles.

I often listen to an audio book while doing my exercise. If you aren’t a reader, then take a hard look at the TV shows and movies you watch or the music you listen to.

You want to take in quality entertainment. It doesn’t have to be uplifting, but it helps.

When trying to maintain a positive attitude, it helps if you aren’t polluting your spirit with lots of negativity. I only watch or listen to one hour of news a day.

I don’t spend hours listening to talk radio or following news stories on the net. I only go on social media to post status updates and to reply to email notifications.

Here again, I may be blessed by being blind because it’s not easy accessing most of the social media sites with a screen reader.

I try to avoid associating with people who bring me down. I don’t exchange emails or call these people on the phone.

And before you ask what if it is a family member who is negative, I will say that I live with my younger brother Patrick, and often I have to escape to my room or the garage to get away from him.

He is very passionate about certain news and political items. I know there are some people you can’t cut out of your life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t minimize their influence on you.

Recently, I have started to notice he is becoming more positive every day.

I learned, I lived, and I got better.

I hope you can find your own way to live, learn, and get better. I know most of this is not new.

I’m just hoping hearing it from me might help motivate you to take sustained action this time. If you want a little help, feel free to visit my new site.

I will be sharing more about my journey there. It’s also where you can hire me as a coach or public speaker.

I didn’t start out to be an inspiration. I thought I was just a carney kid who would make his living selling amusement park rides and such.

But it seems I am meant for much more. I love hearing from my readers. I especially love getting to know them. We can all learn from each other.

All of us have something to teach, share our life lessons, or show the world whether we know it or not.

Thanks so much for your time. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and take care, Max.

I hope you will leave a comment or share this post.

Share Your Thoughts –

What do you have to say about Maxwell as a blind blogger?

Did he inspire you? Tell us how and let us know which are your favorite life lessons in the comments below.

If you like this post by Maxwell, then please go to his blog and support him with your love, money, and social promotion.

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About the author

Maxwell Ivey

I'm the blind son of carnival owners who helps find new homes for surplus amusement equipment. Now sharing my experiences building a business as a blind entrepreneur in hopes of inspiring and motivating others. Visit my blog TheBlindBlogger.

150 Comments - Read and share thoughts

Max is a long time reader of my blog and a friend and I am just delighted – overjoyed! – to see him share his story and to see the loving reaction of your community …. Max has an incredible spirit of fortitude and strength and he is full of love and generosity. He’s one of a kind. So happy to see this contribution. Great job Max. Keep it up!

Hi Farnoosh; So glad Harleena told me about your message before closing comments. I would have hated to not reply to someone who has been such a supportive friend for so long. I have been surprised by the number of comments and the depth of feeling in them. Its still hard to believe I can impact so many people. I will continue to work hard and learn more about this thing we call blogging. I am even starting to get subscribers to my email list. 🙂 Thanks so much for being part of team Ivey even before there was a team. take care my friend. xoxo max

I’d not say much regarding this topic, salute to you Maxwell Ivey for bringing up such a detailed topic….and perhaps, what I’d say is-

It’s really a great inspiration for us, we blogger although having so much given by God’s grace can’t be able to achieve the things, yet this topic would really be encouraging, and motivating us since.

Hello Bishal; Thanks for your comment. I believe in and have been helped a lot by my faith in God. don’t underestimate what you have to offer. I didn’t think I had much to say on a lot of topics, but as I have grown as a person; I’ve realized I had a lot more in me than even I knew or could imagine. I believe you have a lot to offer and hope you will stop by my blog and share some of it with me and my readers. God bless, Max

hi dahunsi; thanks for your kind words. now that i am in a much better place i can see that good health is not only a goal in itself but necessary to the successful accomplishment of anything else in your life. to many people especially entrepreneurs ruin their health while building their businesses and then wonder why they don’t have more energy and passion for their enterprise. blessings to you too, max

As a ‘realist’ I can only relate to part of this piece. From someone who has “asked for help” and kind of/sort of got it, but then ended up doing most of my start up myself (in order to get stuff done) my path has been different – with different cultural reactions to someone with a visual impairment and yes, passion; not to mention being less conventional in my views, more questioning when things aren’t right or, just when I’ve seen injustice. Having said this, the thing that mostly applies to me, is the “getting healthy”. I’m working on that right now and it’s an often painful process, because as you say, your mind, body and spirit are all connected. I’d like to know more about sleep apnea, so if you have any… Finally, I’m not a ‘Pollyanna positive thinker – like I say, I have to “live on reality and external factors”. I just wish I had more committed, passionate and ‘interested’ people around me when I wanted to start my advocacy business. The truth is, when you talk about taking those baby steps, some times, you also have to take steps back, turn your heels in a possibly 90degree angle and just take a different direction. I also would say, people aren’t alone because they choose to be – this is whether your VI or not. Here in the UK, there is a lot of defeatism attitude around and, believe me, you’ve been lucky to have the cultural edge… What I mean is, people don’t tell you to “not give up”; “keep going” or any of that; what you’re more likely to here is: “‘uh, sounds great, but…” then the mountain of negativity is seemingly all around you and you feel more alone and isolated in your dream, because any opportunity slips through your hands, like fine sand. This has just been ‘my experience’ and whether visually impaired or not, everyone’s situation is different – it’s never as simple as: “be positive!…” We all react differently to our constant added challenges of being visually impaired and, people shouldn’t need to feel overly obliged – ‘just because’ someone happens to be blind; there could be circumstances going on that don’t have anything to do with visual impairment – like being a single mum or, just a little too colourful and bohemian for your drab, uniformed small-minded neighbourhood to be excepted. Right, have said enough and it’s becoming a little book. Cheers from an expat.

Hi Dawn; I’ve been thinking about your comment. i don’t think of myself as a poliana. I have just had enough set backs in my life that I’ve learned to look for the good news. there is usually something positive you can take out of any situation if you look for it. don’t get me wrong sometimes it is darned hard to find. My family doesn’t get blogging at all. they don’t understand half the words i use or try to, but when things go good they congratulate me. but most of my positive reinforcement comes from other bloggers. there are many of us out here who are ready and willing to help all people have to do is ask. I exchange emails with several people I have left comments for and have plans to meet a couple of them in person later this year. I can imagine its hard to be the new woman and a single parent in a new neighborhood but i can’t imagine how it would be to do that in a whole new country. I applaud your courage. and starting your own advocacy business is also something to be proud of. my family used to own a carnival. i currently live in the country but when we first moved here we still owned rides and neighbors complained about those blankity blank carneys bringing down property values. two even built new fences so they wouldn’t have to look at our yard. now that all of that is gone we are the good neighbors. but even so we didn’t become the good neighbors until helping people clean up after a bad storm. sometimes you do have to take a step back or sideways but this is okay as long as you know how it will get you to your ultimate goal. I started offering myself as a coach and speaker about he same time I started this blog. I haven’t had the first taker even though until september 1st I’m not charging for my services. I figured this was the best way to get experience and determine rates for future paying clients. I know its all a process and sooner or later it will happen. comments like these can lead to opportunities. Perhaps you will be the next to be asked to write a guest post. or maybe one of the other commenters will have a suggestion. there are lots of people here who work in similar fields. I do hope things improve for you. there are far too many people who need a good advocate. thanks and take care, Max

Hey Max! Congrats on the guest blogger invite! I knew you’d be contributing something fabulous as you always do. I think you are spot on with all of your life lessons and observations, especially when it comes to asking for help. I think that can be the hardest thing for someone to embrace yet, it can be the most motivating and rewarding experience! And not just for the one asking for help but for the one helping. Once again, I enjoyed your post and look forward to the next one. Thanks for sharing all you do with us!

thanks pamela; when you think about how good it makes you feel to help a friend or a neighbor or even someone you meet in your daily travels like the waitress checker cab driver etc. just imagine that you are giving the other person a chance to feel better about themselves. they may not always see it, but most will. and many are just waiting for an opportunity like a kid in school with their hand raised to answer a teacher’s question. appreciate your support, Max

thank you for sharing all these beautiful thoughts Maxwell and being open in such an honest and transparent way. I agree with everything you say, but probably outlook is what resonates the most. Having the right mindset is key to learning all of the lessons life throws our way.. It’s what allows us to see the obstacles we encounter, whether they be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, as opportunities for growth. And what provides the incentive to make healthy choices when it comes to the foods we eat, the friends we surround ourselves with and as you point out so beautifully, the content we consume daily… as in the books we read, programs we watch, and so forth. You ARE an inspiration because you have never used your disability as an excuse and have learned to roll with the punches, to trust your instincts and adapt, even when those around you were skeptical. Thank you for sharing your journey and lessons you’ve learned and keep doing what you are doing and touching lives wherever you go! I look forward to your net post!

Hi valerie; I agree with you that outlook or mindset or attitude is the most important. If you have an optimistic positive view of life then you can handle just about anything that comes your way. we will all have bad days, but a sunny outlook will help us spend less time fretting about what we can’t change and more time addressing the steps we can take. thanks for your wonderful comment, Max

I knew Max from around the blogging world and his visits to The Wonder of Tech but I didn’t know his back story. Max, thanks for sharing your experiences and source of motivation with us.

You’re right, so often we don’t ask for help and we have to remember when we do ask for help we are giving someone an opportunity to do good in the world.

There is a University of Pennsylvania professor who tries never to refuse a request for help. He is a very busy man but always tries to help himself or put people in touch with others who can help. As you may be able to imagine, he has a huge network of people who are willing to help because he has helped them. If we could all be so giving the world would be a better place!

You’re right about positive influences, both books and people. Why waste your time on things that don’t lift you up? We can do so much better when we are inspired!

hi carolyn; glad to see you here. I’ve ben surprised by how much people have ben inspired by this post. I know my friends have tried to tell me I am, but its one thing to hear it from friends; its another to hear it from so many people who only just met you through reading what you said online. I am glad I could help as so many people have helped me. I’d be interested to know this professor’s name. he sounds like a great person to know. and yes avoiding negative influences is key to staying positive. looking forward to sharing posts with you in the future. take care, max

Max, you truly are an inspiration. You have such a can-do and positive spirit, and in a world in which people have a tendency to complain and only discuss the things they wish would change, it’s really refreshing to hear from someone who takes a more positive approach to living. I love all the points and suggestions you make in this article (to ask for help, take baby steps, stay positive), they are all great tips and are such good reminders to me…!

hi michele; I am sorry I didn’t reply to your comment sooner. I was going through them trying to visit as many as possible and read p\a post and leave a comment ad I noticed I missed you. glad you like my attitude. even happier that you choose to be positive in your own life. and i don’t know if i could manage a daily bit of positive but its something to think about. thanks so much and take care, Max

I am honored that you actually visited my blog. I admire your passion and resilience to overcome obstacles. I admit, I easily get frustrated when things do not turn out as planned. In situations like that, I turn to God. I speak to Him from my heart and ask for guidance. I love your advice about being healthy. I have major health problems (diabetes and hyperthyroidism) which easily makes me feel tired and depressed at times. You are an inspiration, Max. Thank you so much for this inspiring post. Bookmarking it!

Hi eileen; I’ve don my best to visit the blogs of commenters, but I have to apologize for not replying to this comment. I missed it somehow. I know people put themselves out there when they leave one, so I hate to miss one. those are two difficult and conflicting halt issues. and medical problems can definitely lead to emotional ones. Its good that you have a practice of praying and turning it over to god. its not as easy as people make it out to be. Its hard to let go of some things like that. My father had hypothyroidism but it was caused by the procedure to remove part of his thyroid. Feel free to write if I can do anything to help. take care, Max

Great article Maxwell! This was helpful and inspiring to read. I need to remember to ask for help. Sometimes its hard for me and I want to figure everything out myself. You helped today with knowing I can’t do it all. Even successful people ask for help. Thanks for your wonderful advice. 🙂

Hi chrystal; glad i could help. and i believe successful people get that way by knowing they can’t do it all. there is always this small group of people working in a basement or garage. 🙂 my dad had a saying that a one man band doesn’t play too loudly for too long. sorry i haven’t answered your comment before now. take care, Max

I read this post when it went live, came back today to comment. I have shared it with my husband and i was impressed.

Impressed not because u r blind and u blog, but because u r blind, u blog and have survived and are kicking a..It would shame many with all 5 senses intact, ur determination, enthusiasm, commitment. It is infectious.

I am waiting for a major operation in my life. I never knew i would be so excited abt going under the knife, but when uve been in pain for years, getting operated on sounds so exciting. At this point in my life i feel God has a plan in introducing me to people like u. Whatever the message i am open, excited, willing.

This article is the beginning of something big and i have come across it for a reason. It is such an honor connecting with you max. Such an honor. Once i am ready, i want to spend more time in knowing you. Wishing you so much more in life.

Hi Latha; after reading your heart felt comment i felt even worse about not replying to it until now. If I was meant to help you on your journey, then I am honored. I know my gastric surgery couldn’t have been as important as the one you are facing. but there are people who wonder why i went through it when i could have continued losing on my own. my answer is I know who I am. I had tried and failed so many times before that i knew i needed the help in order to lose the weight and keep it off. I have heard of people who are in so much physical pain that after the surgery they refused the pain meds. I’ve heard of others who got their first good nights sleep in a long time. I’ll be praying for a successful outcome. May you get everything you are hoping for from the procedure. and I would be happy to get to know you better whenever you like. by the way what did your husband think? Is he a blogger? thanks again for the kind words and god bless you, max

Max, you know how much I enjoy your life stories. Heck, when you started you were not this open with life experiences as much as you were with the business experiences. This post had me smiling all the way through. Your authenticity and passion – heard, seen and felt. I’m delighted we’re blogging buds.

Hi Pat; so glad to be your blogging buddy too. 🙂 yes i have come a long way. I’ve always been honest, but i am sharing more and more about my personal life the farther along I get in my blogging career. Harleena says part of my problem is an unwillingness to brag. she says i always want to give other people credit instead of sharing what i’ve done on my own to get where I am. i will admit that the two most personal posts I’ve written or been involved with were both partly the result of working with a great editor who pushed me hard. Harleena for this one and Lorraine for her interview earlier this year. My gastric surgeon asked my permission to be listed as a featured patient. I agree and in my statement I mentioned the weight loss plus how I’m now wanting to help others through coaching and or public speaking. we’ll see what else life has in store. thanks for being one of my good friends who pushed me to do more and say more. I bet you were smiling. Take care, Max

Carl

2014-08-01 at 1:48 pm

Awesome post! It’s great to see Max’s great words getting around. Really happy to have read this. Such an inspiring story.

Hi Carl; glad to see you here. I had no idea there would be this kind of response to my post. I don’t know if even Harleena did but she was the one who picked the topic and pushed me to get my very best work. Now that more people are learning about me, I’m hoping to get some coaching clients or opportunities to share my story in person. thanks my friend and take care, Max

As I read your post, max, I thought of something I read earlier in the week, by William George Jordan. “The man who is calm has his course in life clearly marked on his charts. His hand is ever on the helm.” Your course is clear to all who read your work.

Hi Sue; so glad to hear from you. It seems like its ben forever. I love that quote. Although none of us are ever that clear in our minds or hearts. I do my best to keep out as much of the clutter as possible. If I am calm, its because people have taught me how. You’r a good friend sue. Take care now, Max

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